Kuroko's Syndrome
by Queen Keri
Summary: Wherein Kuroko is an I-don't-know-what-is-love bookworm and Aomine is a rebel librarian.


OOCness ahead.  
You've been warned :)

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Koroku no Basuke. I won't write this if I do.

* * *

You may believe that everyone in this world is unique, that everyone can have a potential to rise to the top of the society; but you should also remember that there will always be someone who's better than the other. For the most part, Tetsuya Kuroko is very much aware of that. He accepted those facts but truthfully speaking, despite the fact that he knows the truth, a part of him still remained undecided and insecure.

He is a creative writing student. A bit witty in his words, awkward and average, Kuroko could be your typical nerdy classmate that wears thick glasses, or your timid neighbor and even your science lab partner that gets forgettable too easily when you stepped into a higher grade. At the age of seventeen, he's an incoming freshman at a public university. And he's still socially unstable. He mastered his habit of staring into people's faces and observes them (unconsciously), earning him both weird and annoyed looks every time by doing so. Stepping into his new school, he is officially labeled as a weirdo.

And Tetsuya Kuroko DOES mind it.

Was it wrong with getting inspiration from observing a person's face?

Apparently it is wrong, but Tetsuya Kuroko won't understand that fact. Nope. Not yet.

He's very passionate with that too, though.

So yup, back to the main problem, Tetsuya Kuroko is insecure, because he couldn't write well enough to stand out, it's not that he really wanted to be popular; he just wanted to see improvements and feel satisfied with himself, convince that he is doing fine with the college department he applied at. All of his classmates were doing well, even better than him. And at times, he felt like he enrolled in the wrong university.

He is currently in the middle of his first semester, in the fall of his seventeenth year.

"Morning~!" Stepping inside of his classroom, he is enthusiastically greeted by a friend, and he is the tallest one in their class.

He gave a small smile and nodded. "Good morning, Kise-kun."

"Settle down class, settle down!" They heard the professor's voice and immediately scrambled off and go back to their own seats. Their teacher was a stout and pale woman with chubby fingers and dresses herself colorfully. Kuroko adjusted his glasses and sat down, drawing his full attention her. Soon enough, some of their writing exercises and test papers were returned, those almost ruined Kuroko's morning.

For the first time in his entire school life Tetsuya Kuroko received a big, fat** F.** And yes he is so upset than he almost cussed and yelled the F-word while eating on their cafeteria. He lost his appetite and nursed his disappointed heart by going to the library. There, he drowned himself between the tall shelves of old books. If he can really drown himself, Kuroko won't regret anything if he died.

He spotted an empty table and stomped not-so-quietly on its direction, earning him furious _"Shhh!"_s from the rest. And Tetsuya Kuroko didn't care. He sat down and pulled out his last writing exercise, marked with the sadistic red F. He scowled and stopped himself from ripping the paper into hundreds of pieces. He might have burned it right away too if the library has a fire place. But their school wasn't that grand, so he just crumpled and hid it on his pocket.

It was totally not his fault. It's just that writing about emotions is not really his area. Now they were given homework to write a paper about Love. _Love. _As in THE Love, like what Romeo and Juliet had. He frowns. No matter how much he read about such things, he couldn't understand it.

* * *

After several hours, Kuroko sighed tiredly. Point proven: just reading things that has love on it doesn't necessarily mean he would understand the feeling too once he read them. So at the end of the day, he's still not pleased and just picked a random book about Japanese prostitutes, he think the title was Memoirs of a Geisha or something.

He walked to the library counter with the book in his hands, his book bag slung on his shoulder, his necktie a bit crooked and hair tousled. Kuroko does seem distressed.

"May I see your ID?" a rude voice greeted Kuroko's ears and as he looked up, he thought his heart just stopped beating all at once. Remember when I said he had already mastered the habit of staring into a person's face? I was wrong. I have no idea that his skill can still increase tenfold.

So Kuroko's breath has been stolen away by this person behind the counter, currently raising an eyebrow and asking if Kuroko was alright. He waved his hand in front of his face.

"Uh hello?" He asked brows knitted together. Just then, the person behind Kuroko had decided to drag the boy back into reality by hitting him in the head. Kuroko yelped in both surprise and pain, rubbing the abused spot.

"Oi, what are you doing, spacing out in the middle of the day? You're not the only person borrowing books in here, you know." The guy hissed, a hand on his hip.

"Oh." Kuroko turned and said, his mouth shaped into a perfect "O". "Midorima-kun. You're here?" He asked, feigning ignorance.

Midorima rolled his eyes. They've known each other since middle school. "Unfortunately, yes." He said dryly. "Now get the heck out of the way if you're done borrowing your book."

"Ah…" Kuroko drawled, as if the only words he knew were vowels. The person behind the counter snickered at the unlikely scene in front of him making Kuroko turn and resume staring, but this time he managed to talk.

"Uh, sorry. H-here." He handed out his ID and the boy begun to issue his book and stamped the borrowing card.

"No problem." The boy simply shooed him with a small smile and Kuroko felt the world, correction: _his world_, splitting into half. Is this what they call love at first sight? He asked himself innocently. "Enjoy reading." The boy added sarcastically and handed back the book to Kuroko. He looked like he really doesn't want to be on the library at all.

Kuroko took the book but remained rooted on his position, leaving Midorima with no other choice but to push the boy out of his way. "Kuroko, seriously, if you continue doing that, Aomine might kick you out of here."

"Oi, I am not that bad!" The Aomine person snapped back. Midorima just shook his head.

_"A-aomine."_ Kuroko repeated in his head, staring at Aomine's name tag, pinned on his polo shirt. It seems like he is also a student, Kuroko noted, because he is wearing their standard school ID. He has a sleek haircut, tanned skin and a fierce but happy face. Aside from his hair that has the shade of dark blue, those eyelashes he has are as equally thick and curly; and his lips blushes the faintest tint of pink especially when he smirks—although not in a girly way. He is also too tall for his age, and the way he looks at him was rude but Kuroko's heart definitely… fluttered. He doesn't look like a very nice person, but maybe, that was the beauty of it.

So his observation skills aren't wasted after all.

Finally realizing that he was staring for tad too long already, absoluteldy abnormal for an average person, Kuroko found himself timidly exiting the library with careful steps, as if the entire floor is a dangerous mine field.

At the seventeenth year of his life, Tetsuya Kuroko felt that perhaps, enrolling to this university wasn't that bad of a choice.

Kuroko had also found out that Aomine is a year older than him. He is currently applied on a scholarship program and that is why he's working at their university's library. And right now, as Kuroko is analyzing his thoughts, his whole body is ridiculously hidden behind one of the shelves near the counter, momentarily peeking at the said boy, pretending that he can read a book in his hands upside down.

_This is bad_, he thought, feeling a large burden in his back. _It's like I-I am stalking him_

_But not really that bad, I managed to get an A+ on our last writing exercise because of him anyway. It was the perfect topic: love. _He grinned, reminiscing the great feeling and inspiration he had while writing the said essay. He might have looked crazy right now. And cheesy. _Very_ cheesy. He glanced once again but frowned when he saw Aomine's co-library clerk (who's a girl) talking animatedly to the boy. His smile was unusually really radiant.

Kuroko sighed, and putted the book back on the shelf, suddenly exasperated. _It's not as if I really like him anyway._ And dipped his head down. _I just want to stare at his face._

He sounds like a creep.

And that thought almost made Kuroko bang his head on the nearest wall. With a gloomy expression, he was planning to make a great escape from the library when he felt someone tugging the sleeves of his uniform. He looked back and saw…

"Momoi?" His eyes widened. "W-what are you doing in here?"

"Finally!" The girl declared. "I found you! How could you just leave me and go to Tokyol without saying anything? I thought we're dating!" The girl screamed and that caused all the attention to be drawn to them. Kuroko gulped. She can't be serious.

"Uh we are not dating… we never did, right?" He tried to escape from the girl manicured claws and death grip but failed. "Momoi-san, I didn't mean to mislead you." He said, Momoi was his classmate back when he was still a high school student. He never thought that his kindness towards the girl would make her delusional. He knew Momoi would follow her to Tokyo if he told her that he got accepted at this university.

That would be like dragging a curse with you.

Kuroko is careful not to hurt the girl and gently shook her hands away from him.

"I don't belie—" Momoi was about to say something else when someone grabbed her hand, and pulled her away from Kuroko.

"You're bothering the other students in here, Miss." Aomine said softly, his grip tight and didn't allow Momoi to get away. "Especially this person." He shot Kuroko a look, signaling him to leave quickly.

And Kuroko did.

"Yaaaah! Kuroko-kun!" The girl whined as he looked at Kuroko's running back. "Kuroko!"

Aomine doesn't come after him. Kuroko wish he could pretend he's not disappointed.

* * *

It's official. Kuroko's life is doomed.

Aomine just saved him. A freaking guy. And he is also Kuroko's little crush. It should have been possible to die from pride deprivation.

"_He noticed me, didn't he?"_ He asked himself, sitting in a bench at their school's botanical garden. It was an obscure place and fairly isolated from the rest of the college buildings. Kuroko likes it in there very much, quiet and peaceful. He almost even considered it as his own secret place.

_"He probably saw me always staring."_ He panicked and that was legit stupid. "Of course he had! Now he thinks you're a stalker. Idiot Kuroko. Stalker Kuroko. Pervert Kuroko." He continued to self-talk. And what's funny is his facial expression didn't even change as he have thought of these things.

_"Or maybe he didn't? He didn't even know my name. Our relationship between each other is nothing but_ _librarian-reader."_ Although relieved, that thought made him unnecessarily sad and disappointed. He's really stressed; he's even contradicting himself now. He then sighed for the umpteenth time that day. _"At least no one would find me in here." _He brought a note book put of his messenger bag to relax by writing his thoughts and noticed that the book he had borrowed from the library a week ago was still with him. _Memoirs of a Geisha. _The book is really good; Kuroko didn't expect himself to actually like it either. He left it on his side and sat on the bench with his legs in butterfly position.

A weak smile was tugging the corner of his lips before he heard the iron gate of the garden open (it was quite rusty already and old), his smile faded away when he saw the person he was least expecting to see.

"Aomine-kun?" He stuttered as their eyes met each other. _Oh no_, Kuroko thought, his heartbeat racing_. It's impossible not to stare at that face. I really should stop falling for people because of their appearance._

"Oh, you're the Kuroko guy, aren't you?"Aomine seemed as equally surprised as Kuroko, but soon enough, he walked to his direction and eventually sat next to Kuroko, much to the boy's delight(?), he is feeling so nervous.

"You're s-staying in here?" Kuroko found himself saying, It was a stupid question, he almost want to run away. _Did he just call me by my name? He actually knew my name?_

"Why? Can't I?" the boy asked plainly, oblivious to Kuroko's state. The boy in question quickly shook his head right away.

"Well, this is surprising, you also know this place?" was the next question.

Although terribly pressured, Kuroko nodded too enthusiastically and Aomine actually found it kind of endearing.

"Y-you know my name." Kuroko then noted, gripping his notebook as if his entire life was depended on it.

Aomine suddenly burst out laughing, loudly. Kuroko blinked his eyes. "Of course! Why wouldn't I? Your name is written in every library card of our books! It's like you borrowed everything in there. Not that I enjoy reading books myself, it's just my work." Well that was partly true, Kuroko thought. He's loves book, after all. But… isn't that… that's uncool, right? Being a bookworm. Most people don't like a boring person like him… Well, with the exception of Momoi.

"And you know my name too anyway." added Aomine.

"It's always on your name tag." He paused, unsure. "Uh… so what happened to that girl?" and asked.

"She's not a student in here so she had to leave. I don't have any idea how she managed to enter though. Quite sneaky, aren't she?" Aomine grinned brightly. "She said that she's gonna be your future bride and the mother of all your children."

Kuroko had frozen up. That was downright humiliating. "I'm sorry for causing you tro—"

"Oh, you're still reading this?" Aomine didn't mean to cut him off. "I saw the film but never read the book. Made me sleepy in the theater but the actress was really pretty so I stayed." And held the book Memoirs or a Geisha on his hands carefully. They talked about it some more and how good the ending was. Well honestly, Kuroko haven't finished reading it yet and Aomine just had to spoil everything, unintentionally ruining Kuroko's view of the story. But the boy just acted like he knew everything too, afraid that he might make Aomine feel bad (he's over-thinking).

It was awkward how Aomine made most of the talking while Kuroko just replied with a nod or a short sentence, his cheeks blushing every now and then. The tanned boy might have noticed that already but stayed quiet for a reason.

Aomine then noticed the notebook Kuroko was holding on his lap. "What's that? Can I see that?" It was a bold request because Kuroko had never revealed any of his writing to anyone before, but at the same time, he also doesn't have the heart to refuse Aomine's request. He nodded and gave him the notebook, slightly trembling. It contained some drafts of his essays and other snippets.

Cold sweat slid down his back as Aomine started flipping every page and read. Kuroko was looking at his face very seriously; taking note every possible reaction Aomine may give while reading. Some leaves in the garden fell down as a set of wind played with the trees; dancing and making the branches sway in rhythm. It was as though the entire place was reserved just for the two of them.

Kuroko's fine if that is the case.

The last page was flipped and Aomine closed the notebook.

"I didn't get some things you wrote but I think it's awesome how you can write like that. Geez, I didn't even understand half of it. Sorry. But then I am not really that good with words." Aomine smile apologetically, turning to face the boy fully. He thinks that was the first time he had ever appreciated the beauty in a person's smile. The latter had yet again frozen up and turned into some sort of statue, hiding the thousand shades of red on his face. Aomine gave him two thumbs up and said "Next time you visit the library, make sure to say hi, okay?"

He curled his hands into fist. He was the first person who had ever told him that.

And it felt good.

"That essay about Love was totally… I dunno how to describe it. Moving?" Aomine scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "It's like you are describing the _person you adore_ so much. I bet she's really pretty, right?" Kuroko hid a bright smile with the back of his hand.

"_That person_ is exceptionally beautiful." He muttered softly, earning him a friendly punch in the shoulder from Aomine, teasing.

He is a boy who solely likes to observe a person's face. Most of the time; he is just looking for their appearances so Kuroko had never been seriously in love with someone before. But if the warmth that comes with Aomine's presence is what love truly feels like… then Kuroko won't mind falling in love with same person over and over again.

* * *

Told you so, you've been warned, right? :))

Comment please :D


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